Swansboro High School honors Sandy Hook victims

Thursday

Before students at Swansboro High School parted ways to enjoy their holiday break on Thursday, they took a moment to remember another school mourning the loss of so many of their own.

Before students at Swansboro High School parted ways to enjoy their holiday break on Thursday, they took a moment to remember another school mourning the loss of so many of their own.

In tribute to the Sandy Hook Elementary School, the student body organized a tribute for victims of the Dec. 14 shooting that claimed the lives of 20 students and six adults.

“This tragedy really hit home with me and all of Swansboro High School and if you look at the majority of the victims, most of them are 6 or 7 years old,” Junior Nicholas Kohlmann said. “They were just innocent children and it’s around Christmas time. They were looking forward to Christmas and getting done with school.”

Wearing green and white in honor of Sandy Hook’s school colors, students gathered at the football field for a moment of silence before the name of each victim was read aloud. The journalism club held two large banners that read “We Love Sandy Hook Elementary.”

After hearing of the tragedy, guidance counselor Krystal Tyndall said that students immediately thought of ways to give back after returning to school on Monday. Many of them spent the week selling buttons and bracelets in the community to raise money for a scholarship fund for Sandy Hook.

“It was a collective effort, the robotics club made the buttons, HOSA students made the bracelets and the S2S and SAVE clubs all worked together,” Tyndall said. “We were prepared for anything, but what was so interesting was that we didn’t have the grievance conversations, it was the ‘what are we going to do’ conversations.”

A PowerPoint presentation with the images of victims was displayed in classrooms, and students wore stickers with the names of each person on their shirts.

Swansboro High Junior Hunter Henry, who wore a sticker bearing the name of 7-year-old Grace McDonnell over his heart, said that the victims instantly reminded him of his own 10-year-old sister.

“That is a small town and we’re a small town … I can’t imagine my little sister who goes to the elementary school going through this and I can’t imagine going though this,” Hunter said. “I don’t think anyone should have to.”

The school plans to send a framed photo of the student body from the tribute along with a letter of condolence to the Newtown, Conn. community. They also cheered upon hearing the announcement that they raised $1,000 to help Sandy Hook students look towards a brighter future.

“That’s something that even at a young age most of them will never forget,” Nicholas said. Even if we could raise just a little money for a scholarship fund, that just makes all of us feel good inside.”